With the Canadian Football League’s cut-down deadline set for 10 p.m. MT tonight, the Edmonton Eskimos are pared down and ready for the next stage of training camp.

The team released seven players this morning, with the most notable being receiver Dobson Collins, who had been with the team for the majority of the past two seasons, either as a practice roster member or a backup.

The only non-import player cut was receiver Ismael Bamba, a Sherbrooke product who played last year for the Saskatchewan Roughriders. The Eskimos also parted ways with offensive lineman Johnny Culbreath, defensive backs Cary Harris and Otis Merrill, receiver Owen Spencer and defensive lineman Jorge Wright, who joined the team at the start of training camp.

The Eskimos are now at 65 bodies, excluding injured players and non-counters (draft picks and unsigned Canadian rookies). They’ll make their next round of cuts after Friday’s preseason game in Vancouver against the B.C. Lions.

We encourage all readers to share their views on our articles and blog posts. We are committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion, so we ask you to avoid personal attacks, and please keep your comments relevant and respectful. If you encounter a comment that is abusive, click the “X” in the upper right corner of the comment box to report spam or abuse. We are using Facebook commenting. Visit our FAQ page for more information.